Chapter 1.6 #2
“Has it?” he asked, jumping to his feet. “Almost,” he confirmed from the window.
She immediately hurried to him and sighed with relief.
“It is still raining a little, but the sky looks clearer and the wind has dropped. We should leave immediately; let us extinguish the fire,” she said hastily.
“Yes; you should take my horse, Miss Bennet and you will be home soon. I will help you into the saddle and you may cover yourself in the blanket. I will walk to either Netherfield or Longbourn, whichever you tell me is closer. Just point me in the right direction.”
Elizabeth looked at him, her brow arched.
“I hope you are joking, Mr. Darcy. I cannot possibly take your horse, especially in this weather. I barely ride my own, even on sunny days. We should do the opposite: you will carefully ride towards Longbourn and I will walk back home; if you reach Longbourn quickly enough, you may send John with the carriage. Come, let us go, we have not an instant to lose.”
Her excitement added to her anxiety and she was ready to leave the cottage without proper consideration of her situation. She was stopped by Darcy’s intrigued gaze, appraising her from head to toe.
“Miss Bennet, you cannot walk in those clothes and with those shoes; it would take you ages, and you will certainly fall ill if you expose yourself to the cold again. A better choice would be to wait here by the fire and I will go and fetch help.”
“Mr. Darcy, if the storm resumes, no help could get close to the cottage. I may stay here until tomorrow, of course, but it would be a waste of time. And I worry that you will not find the right path through the rain. My proposal is the best option.”
“Or, we could walk to the main road, and from there we could ride together. My horse can easily carry both of us; that way we would be at Longbourn soon enough. And even if the storm worsens again, you know the way well enough to get us all home safely.”
It was Elizabeth’s turn to gaze at him. He was still wearing only a shirt and trousers. As he spoke, he put his boots — as wet and dirty as they were — back on his feet and wrapped the blanket around him, tying it around his waist.
Riding together with him was absurd; dangerous, improper and unacceptable. Anything was better, even her remaining alone in the cottage. She shook her head, voicing her rejection when a clap of thunder interrupted her.
“We should leave now if we are going to leave; if not, we should wait here until the storm has completely passed. If Bingley is at Longbourn and has spoken to your sister, they would have assumed that you had taken shelter here and will send help. It might take hours, but that would be the safest choice.”
His suggestion was perfectly logical and wise, but the idea of spending several more hours alone with Mr. Darcy and prolonging that compromising and tormenting situation was unbearable.
They had eventually reached a truce about their misunderstandings, but still, his presence was deeply disquieting.
“Very well, sir, let us try what you suggested. We will walk to the main road and see how it is, then we will decide how to proceed further — riding or walking.”
Her intention was to have her way; she was certain that she would prove to him she could walk even in the large shoes and wrapped in the blanket and he would forget the idea of riding together.
While she dampened down the fire and locked the door, he hurried to untie his horse.
The rain had indeed ceased, but it felt even colder and ice seemed to be forming under their feet.
Darcy took the horse’s reins, then he turned to Elizabeth.
She stepped hesitantly, surprised by how difficult every inch was to cover and struggling not to show him that she could barely keep her balance.
He did notice, however, and stretched out his hand to help her.
She took his arm after only a brief hesitation and they walked together, with the horse following them.
Some of the clouds had dissipated, but others were gathering and the rumbles of thunder warned them that the storm was not over yet. It was still raining, small but icy drops falling on them. By the time they reached the main road, they were soaked through and freezing again.
Darcy stopped and she had to do the same.
“Miss Bennet, come,” he said urgently. She had no strength and no arguments to contradict him.
With dread and mortification, she nodded.
A small cry escaped from her lips when she felt his strong arms lifting her and placing her on his stallion’s back.
She barely knew what had happened and grasped the horse’s mane.
In another moment, she felt him mounting behind her and adjusting himself in the saddle.
“Hold the blanket around yourself and I will hold onto you,” he whispered to her, placing his arms around her and taking the reins.
Her head was close to his torso and she saw his blanket sliding down. She lifted it, covering his shoulders and chest, meeting his thankful gaze. Then the horse moved slowly and she instinctively put her arm around his waist, clinging onto him.
“Continue until the first crossroads,” she indicated, then closed her eyes.
The rain and the wind intensified; the horse walked at a slow pace, guided by his master’s calming voice and gentle movements.
Elizabeth’s heart pounded and there was a hole of ice in her stomach.
With every move, her body brushed over his and his arms seemed to close tighter around her.
He was as wet and cold as she was, but a strange heat radiated from him, warming her.
“And from here?” she heard him whispering again, closer to her ear. She glanced around, recognising the surroundings.
“Longbourn is ahead, Netherfield to the left. The distance is the same,” she answered, lifting her eyes to him. His face was so close that she could feel his breath.
“I will leave you at Longbourn first,” he said, urging his horse forward.
She said nothing, only rested her head on his chest. She felt safe, protected, and for the first time comfortable in Mr. Darcy’s presence.
She barely noticed when the horse stopped; what startled her was the sound of voices calling with obvious panic.
Mr. Darcy helped her down while Jane and Mr. Bingley ran towards them from the house.
On the steps, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet looked at them dumbfounded and behind them, Mr. Collins watched them with his eyes wide open and his palm covering his mouth.